


Genghis Khan

by bioticnerfherder



Series: Breezeblocks: a modern AU [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Jealousy, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Songfic, idk what else to say besides it’s 2017 and i just wrote a songfic, other original characters as cool and supportive friends, some original characters as plot devices, well more like establishING relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 10:13:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10488519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bioticnerfherder/pseuds/bioticnerfherder
Summary: Kylo gets a little bit Genghis Khan.(part of a larger series of one-shots and fics in the same AU)





	

**Author's Note:**

> the year is 2017 and i have just written a songfic. oh heck.  
> anyway. the song is [Genghis Khan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_SlAzsXa7E) by Miike Snow, a good song with an even better music video. enjoy. 
> 
> fic is only rated mature for language and discussion of explicit sexual content - no actual explicit things happen

There’s a small bruise on Hux’s neck.

Kylo notices it when Hux reaches for his planner somewhere to the left of his webcam, but he doesn’t question it; he doesn’t even mention it. Kylo simply lets the Skype call go on, eyes glued to the bruise. 

“Bloody hell,” Hux says, stretching his neck from side to side and bringing Kylo’s attention back. “I’m never letting Phasma choose what we’re doing again. Anyway, what did you say is the date of your graduation?”

“The eighteenth,” Kylo mutters. 

Hux nods, flipping through a few pages and jotting the date down in his planner. “Alright, eighteenth of December... that’s the Thursday. I could probably ask to take my weekend early, fly up on Wednesday night after work and leave Friday night.” He seems to anticipate Kylo’s frown, immediately ready with an excuse. “I know that’s a short time frame, I’m sorry. My attending is really getting on my arse about my board preparations. And I just  _ know _ he’s going to make me work Christmas again this year, so I’ll have to be back at the hospital by Saturday.”

“Your attending is…” Kylo glances at the bruise again. “Getting on your ass?”

“It’s an expression, Kylo,” Hux doesn’t even bat an eye. He’s either oblivious to or ignoring the implications of his crass phrasing.

“Right,” is all Kylo can think to respond.

Hux looks up then, a quick glance directly at the webcam so that Kylo knows he’s paying attention, before he drops his gaze to Kylo’s face onscreen. “I’ll book the flight and email you the details. But right now I have to go, I promised Phasma I’d help her set up some of her new furniture.” Kylo furrows his brows, which Hux obviously notices given the eye roll that shortly follows. “Have you been listening to me? I’m sure I told you about Phasma.”

“Yeah.” Kylo sighs. “Your friend from med school, just got a job at First Order. Right?” 

Hux smiles, a genuinely satisfied smile, and Kylo suddenly forgets his earlier annoyance. “I knew you were listening. You had me worried for a second there, Kylo. You looked distracted, I thought something might be wrong.”

_ You have a hickey on your neck,  _ Kylo thinks.  _ How can I  _ not _ be distracted?  _

He bites back the words before he can say them out loud.

“Alright, I really have to go now. I’ll email you!” Hux waves at the webcam.

“Bye,” Kylo says, trying to keep the sullen tone out of his voice. The call disconnects and Kylo closes out of Skype before getting up to fetch another cup of coffee.

Fortunately, the apartment is still quiet and Kylo isn’t forced to interact with anyone as he scoops fresh coffee grinds into the coffee maker, setting it to brew. His roommates are probably still sleeping off their hangovers, he notes with a little bit of envy - it’s only Kylo who is fool enough to wake up early on a Sunday morning just to Skype with Hux. 

Kylo generously prepares a large pot of coffee so that there will be some left over for Matt and Kai when they eventually stumble into the kitchen, before grabbing two poptarts (not bothering to toast them) and slipping back into his room with his coffee and second breakfast. He could easily put on some real clothes and head to the diner down the block - it’s just about the right time for brunch - but as a college senior he has his fair share of work to do in the weeks leading up to graduation. Besides, since leaving Thailand he’s never quite enjoyed breakfast as much as he used to; no pancake could ever compete with the oily banana crepes that made up his midnight snack several days a week.

Despite just over three years passing since those fateful seven months, Kylo still thinks about them daily. It would help, admittedly, if those months hadn’t helped him determine what he’s doing with his life. And if he stopped talking to Hux so much.

Sighing, Kylo pushes away the thought and settles into work. He has essays due, edits on his senior thesis, and grad school applications to finish. His GRE results were released the other day, and while they were pretty good he needs stellar personal statements if he wants to go to his top choices (which, he tries not to think about, are his top choices because they’re both good schools  _ and _ closer in proximity to Hux).

“BLESS YOU, KYLO!” The shout from the kitchen startles him - only after he glances at the time does he realise that he was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t notice the hours slipping by.

“You’re welcome, Kai!” He yells back. No doubt his roommate is thanking him for the coffee.

Footsteps bound down the hallway and stop by his door. His roommate doesn’t get the chance to knock before Kylo tells them to open the door. “Matt and I are heading to the library in a bit,” Kai says. “You down?”

“I’m good,” Kylo calls over his shoulder. “I’ll work at home today.”

“How long have you been up?”

“Early,” he says, eyes still glued to the essay on his laptop screen.

“Skyping Hux?” Kylo hums his acknowledgement. “Tell him he still owes me a beer.”

Kylo rolls his eyes, even though he knows Kai can’t see his face. “He was last here almost a  _ year _ ago, Kai.”

“I never forget, Kylo.” Kai laughs. “Alright dude, I gotta get dressed. Matt wants to make sure he gets to the only copy of his textbook before anyone else in his radar tech class checks it out. See ya later. Tell your boyfriend I said hi.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Kylo grits out.

“Whatever,” Kai laughs again, closing Kylo’s door and retreating down the hall.

_ “Whatever,”  _ Kylo mimics their voice, mumbling to himself. His mind returns to the bruise on Hux’s neck. “He’s  _ not.” _

After they first parted ways back in Bangkok, Kylo began exchanging emails with Hux often. They started video calling, too, after Kylo finally got his shit together and bought a laptop with a webcam that could actually download Skype. Hux eventually moved to northern California for his residency at First Order Hospital, a few months after Kylo returned home from Thailand (and at the same time he restarted school at UCSD). Once Hux was about an hour’s flight away instead of an entire continent... it was harder to stay away. Kylo has been to see him four times in the past two and a half years, and Hux has flown down twice.

Regardless of what his roommates say, Kylo remains adamant that Hux is  _ not _ his boyfriend. What they have can be defined as at best an open relationship, and at worst two friends who happen to have mind-blowing sex whenever they’re in the same city. Kylo simply has no time for relationships or actively seeking out partners; he’s always busy, between making up for his failed semester, catching up after his gap year (and the fact that all his previous credits were for a vastly different major), and building up his resume for grad school. Which is why the only person he’s slept with in two years has been Hux. That’s all there is to it.

Or so Kylo tells himself.

He grunts with frustration, his concentration shattered. He reluctantly packs up his laptop, a few notebooks, and the photocopied pages of his textbook (since he’s too cheap to buy the damn thing and just copies the relevant pages from the library’s edition whenever he needs them), and pulls on some ‘real’ clothes before following his roommates to the library.

As soon as Kylo enters the library, he makes a beeline for the table he frequents with Matt and Kai.

“Hey!” Matt stage-whispers in greeting when he notices Kylo. “Decided to join us after all?”

“Yeah,” Kylo mutters as he sits down, squeezing onto one end - the table is busy today, with a few of Matt and Kai’s friends. They all nod at him in greeting before diligently turning their heads back to their books or laptops.

Kylo gets out his own study things and settles down. At least he’s comfortable with  _ this _ particular group of Matt and Kai’s friends - he knows them all well from the countless Thursday nights they spend in his living room playing D&D. The group even call themselves the Knights, which is mostly Kai’s doing; their inner history nerd and persuasive personality finalised that decision.

Kai leans over into Kylo’s personal space. “Hux was too busy at the hospital to Skype, or something?” they whisper conspiratorially.

“No,” Kylo grumbles. “I just got distracted in my room. I need to focus.”

“Okay, dude,” Kai sniffs, obviously not believing him. They simply clear their throat once and turn back to their laptop.

Shooting them a quick glare, which is promptly ignored, Kylo sighs with exasperation before opening the essay he was editing this morning. He re-reads the same paragraph five times before he finally gives up again, digging around in his backpack for the granola bar that’s been sitting in it for a few weeks.

He doesn’t have the right to ask where Hux goes at night. Or who he spends his time with  _ at all _ . That isn’t Kylo’s place. He  _ knows _ Hux spends countless hours in the hospital, and from the amount of Grey’s Anatomy that Kai has forced Kylo to watch with them, Kylo knows that residents can get up to all sorts of things both on and off-duty. Hux deserves to blow off some steam. But it irks him, now that he’s actually seen evidence of it, that someone is in Hux’s bed.

Kylo thought their little arrangement suited him just fine. It’s becoming increasingly clear to him that it’s not.

*

He goes out that Friday.

Hux’s email arrives on Tuesday morning, a forwarded confirmation receipt from Expedia with flight numbers and departure/arrival times. Hux added no message other than a simple ‘ _ here are my flights, for your reference.’  _

Kylo is still thinking about the bruise when he heads to a bar halfway between his house and campus.

He’s still thinking about the pale freckled skin on Hux’s neck, damaged by someone else’s mouth, when Kylo starts doing shots with someone named Emilio. Someone who eventually drags him to a club where they can  _ ‘skip the line because I know somebody.’ _ Someone who does another round of shots with Kylo before dragging him onto the dance floor, grinding back against him to whatever pulsing rhythm the DJ is spinning. Only when Emilio turns around, pushing his lips onto Kylo’s and trying to coax open Kylo’s mouth with his tongue, does Kylo step back. The person whose hips he is holding is  _ not Hux _ and that’s enough to send him marching off the dance floor, even send him all the way back to his apartment with his thoughts clouded in frustration.

“Whoa there,” Kai calls out to him from the couch before Kylo can sneak into his room unnoticed. “You better drink an  _ entire _ bottle of water before you go to bed tonight, Kylo. I can smell the tequila on your breath all the way over here.”

“Fuck off, Kai.” 

“Ah, so we’re angry-drunk today. Got it.” They get up, snatching Kylo’s wrist and dragging him to the couch. “Sit there. Don’t puke. I’ll get you some water and a banana.”

Kylo huffs in annoyance, but there is little to be done. Not when Kai goes into their ‘responsible friend’ moods. He sinks onto the couch and awaits the promised glass of water.

“So,” Kai starts when they return, setting the glass on the coffee table and handing Kylo the banana, “you only drink this much when you’re celebrating, or upset. And I’m pretty sure there’s nothing to celebrate currently, since we’re all in this senior year funk.” Kai plops down on the couch next to him. “Why are you upset?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Kylo mumbles.

“Yes, you do. The whole ‘drinking as a cry for help’ thing is a time-old trick, dude.”

Matt emerges from the kitchen then, a fresh bag of microwave popcorn in his hands. “Sometimes I wonder if you should have been a psych major and not a history major, Kai.”

“I’m not an angel, Matt. I can only have so much patience for man-children like our dear roommate over here.”

“I can hear you,” Kylo rolls his eyes.

“We know,” Matt remarks as he sits on the floor opposite the couch. He opens the hot bag and scoops a handful of the buttery popcorn inside into his mouth. “Now start talking, I want to go to bed soon.”

Kai reaches over the coffee table to take a handful of popcorn for themselves before turning an expectant eye at Kylo.

Kylo stares down his two roommates, taking a long sip of water and eating half the banana before finally relenting. “Hux had a hickey when we Skyped last week.”

Matt whistles. “He’s cheating on you?”

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Okay,” Kai shoots Matt a  _ look. _ “Are you sure it was a hickey? Could have been a bruise.”

“It was small and round and on his neck,” Kylo rolls his eyes. “What else could it be?”

“That sounds like a terrible hickey.”

“Who am I to judge the quality of whoever Hux is sleeping with? So what if they’re bad at giving hickeys, maybe they’re good at other things!”

“Alright,” Matt interrupts. “Are you  _ sure _ it was a hickey? The man  _ is _ a doctor, he comes into contact with all sorts of weird things daily. It could just be a random bruise.”

Kai laughs. “Yeah. It could be anything, honestly. One time I got nailed accidentally with a BB gun pellet on my thigh. Don’t ask. But it was real bad,” they rub at their thigh, as if they can still feel the ache, “and thank god it wasn’t too high up. But it looked like someone had sucked a hickey onto my leg on their way to eat me out… which, admittedly,  _ did _ happen the next day but only after the bruise was there, so the bruise was  _ definitely  _ from the BB gun.” They gesture at Matt. “And like he said, Hux is a doctor. Isn’t he a trauma resident?”

“Yes,” Kylo frowns. “He’s in emergency medicine, yes.”

“See!” Kai slaps Kylo’s thigh. “Matt has a point. The ER definitely sees some weird shit.” They point in Matt’s direction. “Always trust a scientist, am I right?”

“I’m a physicist, Kai,” Matt complains.

“Potato, potato, still a scientist,” Kai shrugs. They turn back to Kylo. “So you shouldn’t get yourself worked up over something that might not even be an issue. Just ask him about it, if it bothers you so much.”

“But Hux is not my  _ boyfriend,”  _ Kylo protests. “It’s not my business. We’re just… friends. With benefits. Really  _ great _ benefits.” 

“Yeah, uh-huh,” Kai rolls their eyes as they reach for more of Matt’s popcorn. “Friends with benefits that travel across a state to reap said benefits.” 

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

Kai snorts. “You’re a dumbass, dude. If you don’t see it, I’m not saying a damn thing.”

Kylo has nothing to say to that. Instead, he finishes eating his banana and then reaches over to take a handful of popcorn for himself. 

“Just  _ talk _ to Hux about it, will you?”

“Okay,” Kylo sighs.

Satisfied with their efforts, Kai wipes their buttery fingers on their sweatpants and goes back to reading whatever book was in their hands when Kylo stumbled through the door. Matt and Kylo finish off the rest of the popcorn in silence and eventually Matt retreats into his bedroom, leaving Kylo sipping his water next to Kai on the couch.

“It’s funny,” Kai sniggers at the page they’re on. “This particular chapter is quite appropriate for you.”

“What?” Kylo asks, brows furrowed.

“This book is for my Medieval Asia class. I’m currently reading about the Mongol Empire.” They poke Kylo’s bicep. “You’re getting a little Genghis Khan, right now, Kylo.”

*

The last time Kylo visited Hux feels like longer than only six months ago.

Hux had worked long shifts eight days in a row in preparation, just so he could swing two extra days off and spend a four-day weekend with Kylo. Most of it was spent at Hux’s place (and  _ definitely _ being noisy enough to annoy his housemates), with the occasional walk through his neighbourhood and the nearby park. Kylo had been to that particular park once before, as a child with his family, and had hated it back then - but not this time. Not with Hux. They packed sandwiches and spent the afternoon lounging on the grass under the sun, while Hux leafed through a medical journal and Kylo read a book he was reading for his thesis. That night, Hux pressed Kylo into the bed and rode him achingly slowly; Kylo stared up at Hux, whose cheeks were tinted pink from the sun and chest flushed from the sex, while Kylo was pushed to the edge multiple times before Hux would still, teasing him, delaying his pleasure  _ just _ that much longer.

When he finally came, Kylo remembers thinking it was the most satisfied he’d felt. Possibly ever.

It’s that moment that Kylo replays in his head now, pulling out his phone and hitting ‘call’ without second-guessing his decision.

“Kylo?” Hux picks up after two rings. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

Kylo doesn’t suppress the smile at the sound of Hux’s voice. “No, nothing’s wrong. I… just wanted to talk to you.”

“God, you had me worried,” Hux sighs. “You never call me without texting first.”

“I didn’t expect you to answer, honestly. I was going to leave a voicemail and suggest we Skype later, if you’re free.”

Hux pauses, and Kylo hears a siren passing in the background. “You’ve actually got perfect timing. I was on night shift last night, I’m just leaving the hospital now for home. Give me half an hour.”

“You should get breakfast first.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Hux chuckles. “Talk to you soon.”

Kylo pulls his laptop onto his bed next to him and lies next to it for the full thirty minutes, his hungover mind staring at the ceiling while he waits. The annoying chime of an incoming call makes him jump, but he scrambles to answer - sitting up against his wall and pulling the computer into his lap.

“Alright, I’m here,” Hux says in lieu of hello, a steaming mug in his hands.

“Hi,” Kylo says lamely.

“What did you want to talk about?” Hux asks between sips of what Kylo assumes is tea.

“It… might be a bit weird.” Now that it’s come down to it, Kylo actually has no idea how to start this conversation.

Hux takes another sip and sets the mug down. “I’m sure it’s not. Just spit it out, Kylo.”

Kylo closes his eyes, breathing loudly a few times. There’s really no other way to put it. “Are you sleeping with other people?”

“What?” Hux looks at him, half surprised, half incredulous. “No, of course not.”

“Are you sure?”

Squinting his eyes at the screen, Hux starts to look annoyed. “What do you mean ‘are you sure?’” He raises an eyebrow. “Is this because you are? Kylo, you’re not my boyfriend, I’m not stopping you from sleeping with any-”

“Why aren’t I?” Kylo interrupts.

“Aren’t you what?”

“Why…” he swallows. “Why aren’t I your boyfriend? Or why aren’t you mine?”

Hux opens and closes his mouth a few times, obviously not expecting the question. “I…”

“Please,” Kylo frowns. “Please answer me. I can handle the truth.”

“Well, I… I’m…” Hux sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I… I’m busy a lot of the time, Kylo. I don’t want to prevent you from enjoying anyone else while I don’t have enough time for you, and then you end up hating me for it.” He drops his hand, casting his gaze towards the window to his right. When he speaks again, his voice is much smaller. “I don’t want you to hate me. So I’m not going to keep you tied down to someone who can’t be there for you all the time.”

“Hux…” Kylo feels like his own voice has shrunk. “Hux, there isn’t anyone else I want. And I could never hate you.”

Hux looks back at the screen through his lashes, almost timidly. “Really?”

“I… there hasn’t  _ been _ anyone else in two years, Hux.”

“Oh,” is all Hux replies.

Kylo frowns, worry starting to work its way back into his stomach. “Has there… has there been anyone else for you?”

The webcam quality isn’t great, but Kylo would recognise Hux’s blushing cheeks anywhere. “You’re the only person I’ve been with since moving to America, Kylo.”

“Oh,” Kylo echoes Hux’s earlier response. Had Kai and Matt been right about the bruise all along?

The call remains quiet for a full moment, the two of them letting their statements settle in the air around them. 

“So, um,” Kylo clears his throat, “what now?”

“Well,” Hux sighs as he considers Kylo’s question. “This isn’t really a conversation to have over a video call… and you need to focus on graduation. And grad school applications. I need to focus on my board exams, not to mention you still live across the state. Can we… can we shelve this discussion until I fly down next month?”

Kylo nods. “I can live with that.”

Hux smiles. “Thank you.” There’s another moment of silence, but less awkward this time. “God,” Hux starts, “I can’t wait until you get into grad school and live closer. Things will be so much easier.”

“I have to  _ apply _ first,” Kylo laughs bitterly. “And then get in. And even then programs don’t start until the fall, my lease here isn’t up until June…”

“I don’t know if it’s you throwing all these time points at me or the fact that I’ve just been up all night but I’m starting to develop a migraine,” Hux rolls his eyes fondly.

“Go, sleep it off. Like you said, we’re shelving this discussion.”

“Right. Do you want to talk again tonight, though?” Kylo nods. “I’ll text you when I wake up then. But… before I go, I’m curious. What made you think about all this,  _ today _ of all days?”

“Er,” Kylo grimaces, “good that you mention that actually.” He taps his own neck, a reflection of the fading spot on Hux. “You had a bruise here last week. I thought it was a hickey.”

“A hic-” Hux’s hand flies up to his neck and prods at it, wincing at what must still be some lingering pain.  _ “This _ bruise?”

Kylo confirms it, and then Hux breaks out into hysterical laughter.

“You- you thought- you thought this bruise was a  _ love bite?” _ Hux coughs, inhaling deeply a few times. “It must really have distracted you, because I suppose you didn’t hear me telling you what happened.”

“Wait, what?”

Hux rubs his face once. “I told you. I went out to celebrate with Phasma. Me, being in a good mood to be reunited with her, told her she could choose what we did. I mistakenly assumed she would choose some fancy restaurant or bar or maybe some sightseeing. But I forgot one very important detail about Phasma, and that’s that she not only grew up on estates where hunting is still very much a sport, but she did her  residency in the military; she loves shooting.” Hux chuckles again. “Phasma dragged me out to play  _ paintball _ with her.”

Kylo gapes at the screen. “Paintball?”

“The pellet didn’t explode properly and nailed me right in the neck. It… wasn’t pleasant. Next time I’ll convince Phasma to go play lasertag instead.”

“Fucking Kai was right,” Kylo mutters under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Kylo smiles at the screen. “Nothing at all. Go to sleep, Hux. We’ll talk later.”

Hux narrows his eyes for a few seconds, considering his options. In the end, he simply shrugs and waves, clicking off the call.

Kylo closes his computer and shoves it off his lap, laughing at himself. He spent a week being peeved, being afraid, over nothing.

Hux is his.

**Author's Note:**

> so i can vouch for the fact that paintball pellets to the neck not only hurt but also look astonishingly like hickeys… also i’m sorry for making the KoR a bunch of nerds. I couldn’t help slipping them in like that. 
> 
> naturally, these two are unable to leave me OLONE and i’ve got more one-shots planned in this ‘verse. come yell at me on [tumblr](http://bioticnerfherder.tumblr.com/), idk what i’m doing either.


End file.
